A dozen minutes later, the two men arrived at the Stable, where lamplight flickered. Evening was drawing near, and darkness slowly swallowed the land, leaving only a final streak of twilight on the horizon.
Both men were in disguise. Instead of armor, they wore ordinary clothes, though soft armor remained concealed underneath.
With a scarf wrapped around his head, Kanni admired the sturdy black horse before him. He stroked its silky back with satisfaction, his eyes gleaming as he muttered, "Not bad, not bad. A well-shaped body, prominent veins, dark red muscles, and four straight, steady legs. Nameless, look at the fine horse the Knight Commander prepared for me. It's hardly any worse than your Thousand-Mile Horse."
Wearing a square black hat, Zeng Mu gave him a cold glance and replied in a bored voice, "Did he prepare it just for you? Besides..." He stroked the horse's head and continued, "These two horses seem to be twins. Look at the corners of their left eyes. Both have a cinnabar-red tear mole there. According to the horse appraisal methods Yenaier told me about, they should have no trouble covering eight hundred li a day. Compared to a Thousand-Mile Horse? There's still a difference."
Faced with such a serious reply, and a jab at his expense, Kanni could only snort. He sprang onto the horse's back with a swish and said, "My esteemed Baron, may we leave now?"
"Let's go." Zeng Mu vaulted into the saddle and spoke with a somewhat practiced air. Then he flicked the reins, nudged the horse with his heels, and took the lead, riding off into the wind.
Maiya County lay a hundred and twenty-three li from Sand City. On the map, the route between them crossed a fairly level plain where horses could gallop unhindered. At